Carlsbad Department of Development Looks for New Business at Texas ICSC Deal Makers Show

    CARLSBAD, NM, November 04, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Carlsbad Department of Development (CDOD) will be attending the Texas ICSC Deal Makers show in Dallas, November 4th - 6th. The CDOD has attended the retail recruiting show regularly since 2009. The plan for this year's show remains the same as in the past: to recruit new businesses to the Carlsbad, New Mexico market, which is one of the fastest growing in the state.

Recent successes in Carlsbad can be tied to meetings held at the Texas ICSC show as well as contacts gained by CDOD attendees. McAlister's Deli, IHOP, Buffalo Wild Wings, and several hotels have all opened their doors to Carlsbad consumers, and all can be tied to contacts made at this annual tradeshow. Carlsbad is one of the few markets from New Mexico to regularly attend the annual ICSC event.

One of the main goals CDOD officials hope to achieve this year is to educate site selectors on the Cascades at Carlsbad. The Cascades is the brain-child of former Carlsbad Mayor and CDOD President Bob Forrest. Forrest has contributed significant personal resources in the project, which broke ground nearly 10 years ago, and remains committed to its completion. The CDOD remains committed to the project as well, and officials hope to bring in new interest and potential tenants for the new owners of the project, Cascade Entertainment LLC.

Amit Bhakta, president of Cascade Entertainment, LLC, stated that he and his partners, James Waters and Henry Waters, are excited about the opportunity to bring a Family Entertainment Center to Carlsbad, along with a hotel and other retail shops. The new facility, which will include five state of the art theater auditoriums, 12 modern bowling lanes, a laser tag arena, an adult and children's arcade, and a sports grill/restaurant, will serve as the anchor for the development. At least one of the movie theaters will have a large format screen.

"The location along the Pecos River for this venue will create a unique market area in the community that family members and visitors to Carlsbad will enjoy," said Bhakta.

The proposed center will also offer several party/meeting rooms. The design will be such that additional theater auditoriums and bowling lanes can be added in the future.

The Cascades at Carlsbad is an outdoor marketplace that will feature over 600,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, entertainment, and office space available. The Cascades is a shovel ready site, unlike anything in New Mexico, with water features inspired by the Riverwalk in San Antonio and some hotels in Las Vegas.

Carlsbad continues its unprecedented market growth, as both industrial and retail sectors are expanding. Carlsbad, in Eddy County, has been leading oil production in the state of New Mexico for three years, and Eddy County continues to rank high in the nation for oil production.

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